Lacking Many Left-Handed Hitters, Johnson Makes Few Right Moves

Dodger Manager Davey Johnson is considered among the best strategists in the game because he usually exploits matchups.

The cerebral field leader guided the Mets, Reds and Orioles to championships while maximizing lefty-righty platoons. Johnson especially enjoys matching wits with his counterparts in the late innings.

However, Johnson hasn’t maneuvered as often as he would prefer this season because of the makeup of the team and injuries. Despite off-season moves intended to provide offensive balance, the Dodgers are still too dependent on their right-handed power hitters.

“The thing is that we really don’t have a lot of that [consistent left-handed power], so it makes it tougher on me and Mondy [right fielder Raul Mondesi],” said left fielder Gary Sheffield, who went one for three in Sunday’s 9-3 loss to Oakland. “It’s getting harder and harder because pitchers know we don’t have that threat, so me and Mondy aren’t seeing the same types of pitches we were earlier in the year.

“We had a lot more balance in Florida [when Sheffield was with the Marlins], and that’s what you need. With our team, you looked at the pitching coming out of spring training, and that’s where we looked really strong. I guess they [team officials] looked at the pitching and figured that it would be [enough]. I liked our pitching because we were deep, until we traded Dave Mlicki [to the Detroit Tigers]. We’re not that same team now.”

Johnson acknowledges the situation could be better, but he believes he has enough versatility to work with.

“The club wasn’t put together that way [with an emphasis on left-handed hitting], so it’s hard to incorporate a lot of left-handed bats,” Johnson said. “[General Manager Kevin Malone] did a good job, but you never can cover every contingency in the off-season. You can’t control your depth. You can’t control injuries, and that plays a big part in it.”

Injuries have tied Johnson’s hands at times this season.

Left-handed hitting outfielder Todd Hollandsworth is sidelined because of a torn abdominal muscle. Hollandsworth also began the season on the disabled list, missing 16 games with a right hamstring strain.

Hollandsworth was expected to return Tuesday, but Johnson said he will be out at least another week. Switch-hitting infielder Jose Vizcaino came off the disabled list June 4 after sitting out 14 games.

Infielder Dave Hansen has performed well as the top left-handed pinch-hitter, but he’s not an everyday player. Switch-hitter Devon White has had his moments, but the 36-year-old center fielder has been slowed by injuries.

And then there’s the Todd Hundley situation. Malone traded catcher Charles Johnson--a four-time Gold Glove Award winner--and switch-hitting outfielder Roger Cedeno in a three-team deal to acquire Hundley, whose throwing elbow has been reconstructed.

The switch-hitting catcher was supposed to provide left-handed power. Hundley is batting .230 with seven home runs and 20 runs batted in, and has thrown out only 12% of baserunners. Meanwhile, Johnson and Cedeno are thriving with the Orioles and Mets, respectively.

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Hundley made an error that helped the Athletics score twice in their five-run fifth inning, though he might not have needed to make a throw.

With two out and the bases loaded, Dodger reliever Jamie Arnold struck out Ryan Christenson on a wild pitch. The ball bounced off the backstop wall and back to Hundley, standing a few feet behind the circle around the plate. Hundley’s throw to first eluded first baseman Eric Karros.

Two runs scored and the A’s wound up with runners on second and third. Tony Phillips then grounded out to end the inning.

With the bases loaded, why didn’t Hundley simply step on the plate when he retrieved the wild pitch?

“I saw the guy at third base out of the corner of my eye, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get him at the plate,” said Hundley, who went hitless in four at-bats. “I knew I couldn’t get back to home plate. I wasn’t going to get back. That’s the way I saw it.”

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Karros continued his hot hitting, going seven for 11 with two homers and four RBIs in the three games against Oakland.

He doubled twice and singled in four at-bats Sunday, raising his average to .286. He hit the ball well in making his only out, grounding out with the bases loaded in the third.

“I would have liked to have had that one get through,” Karros said. “Bases loaded and you scorch it, but that’s the way things have been going for us.”